Your worst ever big name signing

Let's lighten the mood a little
Everyone is getting excited (then ultimately disappointed) about who their club will sign over the summer. But who is the biggest dud your team have ever signed; a guy who arrived being heralded as the "final piece in the jigsaw" etc but who was utterly mince? It's maybe a bit harsh to put someone in the list who's rubbish-ness was down to injury but you decide.
For Edinburgh, the AB prop Dave Hewitt arrived to project us to European greatness but couldn't even get in the team! Apparently, he cost a ruddy fortune too

Muliaina for Connacht fit the bill.

What a waste of money the guy has been.

Chris Jack at Sarries must be right up there. Aaron Mauger hardly shone for Leicester either. Surely number one though must be Dan Carter at Perpignan.

Ricky Januarie at the Ospreys? He didn't even stay for the entire duration of his contract

For me, the worst Osprey big name signing playing wise and for the disruption he caused around the squad was Mike Phillips, he had very few outstanding games and many more poor games, by all accounts he let plenty of information about the Region into the media, couldn't wait for him to go.

InjuredYetAgain wrote:Ricky Januarie at the Ospreys? He didn't even stay for the entire duration of his contract

IYA, he had more good games for us than Mike Phillips did in his 4 year stay.

Sorry, Wayne, I was only being facetious. Remember the rammy he caused about his Heino registration?

Jerry Collins for Ospreys must be one. Went from one of the world's best athletes to alcoholic.

Mauger had a huge impact off the pith though hence why we've brought him back as head coach for next season. Certainly our backs have never looked as good since he left and he didn't even have Manu to use then. On the field he was a bit underwhelming though his leadership was good.

Schuster was a terrible signing. Had a couple of French caps could play either side but was an appalling scrummager to the point we were picking 20 year olds ahead of him and let him go mid season.

Camacho another recent signing who's been injured for two years.

Waisale Serevi, sevens great but can anyone remember his season at Tigers? Exactly.

CJ Van der Linde for Leinster.

InjuredYetAgain wrote:Sorry, Wayne, I was only being facetious. Remember the rammy he caused about his Heino registration?

It's ok IYA, IIRC we had lost a lot of scrum halves and he really was an emergency, still was better than Phillips though.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Waisale Serevi, sevens great but can anyone remember his season at Tigers? Exactly.

Whoever thought that Serevi was going to be a Leicester style player needs to be found a new job. That one was never going to work out!

The Saint wrote:Jerry Collins for Ospreys must be one. Went from one of the world's best athletes to alcoholic.

Is that right? I don't remember too much about Collins at the Ospreys but I seem to recall that he was still pretty useful - a bit past his best, yes but still an effective player.
Gavin Henson (very briefly) at Sarries, Toulon, Cardiff and London Welsh must have drained a good few quid out of clubs' bank balances for sod all return on their "investment"

The Saint wrote:Jerry Collins for Ospreys must be one. Went from one of the world's best athletes to alcoholic.

Saint he was decent first season, but when he knew his contract wasn't going to be renewed he was very poor, and yes overall a poor recruit.

For Ulster, our worst signings weren't big names.  Rob Dewey and Tamaiti Horua were both shockers and Paul Emerick deserves a mention for getting red carded in his first match of a 3 month contract.

InjuredYetAgain wrote:

The Saint wrote:Jerry Collins for Ospreys must be one. Went from one of the world's best athletes to alcoholic.

Is that right? I don't remember too much about Collins at the Ospreys but I seem to recall that he was still pretty useful - a bit past his best, yes but still an effective player.
Gavin Henson (very briefly) at Sarries, Toulon, Cardiff and London Welsh must have drained a good few quid out of clubs' bank balances for sod all return on their "investment"

IYA, this is the first I've ever heard of that story, you have to take what Saint says with a large dollop of salt.

As well as CJ Van der Linde - Lote Tuiquiri for Leinster.

Artful_Dodger wrote:As well as CJ Van der Linde - Lote Tuiquiri for Leinster.

Good shout, Artful. You are the leader in the clubhouse.

Mosese Luveitasau Yabakitini.
26 letters. That's a big name. Fast though.

Can't believe Stephen Donald at Bath hasn't been mentioned. Yeah sure he was terrible before he arrived but he still won the WC!

I'm feeling like going off road for this one and picking a guy most people might think was one of Leinster's best picks.... Brad Thorn.

No, not bad as a player.  Value for money I reckon..... maybe..... but I'll bet the money outweighed the true value of so brief a stint!  

I feel he showed up for all the wrong reasons - was on a personal record tour of the world and only hung around long enough for a good team of good players to help him pop another title into his loaded medal case.  I think at this point he might have even trouble remembering what colour his Leinster shirt was or where Leinster are on the map of the world

I should be thankful for his help I suppose but my reaction to the brief affair has always been more cynical

VinceWLB wrote:Muliaina for Connacht fit the bill.

What a waste of money the guy has been.

Well hope there's some left in Galway to pay his bail!
Sersiouly though, anyone know why Muliaina was arrested after the game!?!?

Josh Kronfeld for us. Massive name when signed.

BigGee wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

Waisale Serevi, sevens great but can anyone remember his season at Tigers? Exactly.

Whoever thought that Serevi was going to be a Leicester style player needs to be found a new job. That one was never going to work out!

I dunno it was back in 1998. A versatile Austin Healey was already on the books and showing what a quick and skill full utility back could offer. Unfortunately Serevi wasn't going to be used to orchestrating play behind the Tigers scrum and rolling maul nor dealing with the Leicester winter mud bath.

We certainly stuck with trying to bring in quick play makers at 9. Austin played there again in the glory days with Ellis and Youngs and Harrison both fit that mould as well.

GLove39 wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:Muliaina for Connacht fit the bill.

What a waste of money the guy has been.

Well hope there's some left in Galway to pay his bail!
Sersiouly though, anyone know why Muliaina was arrested after the game!?!?

Early reports are that he has been arrested in relation to an incident in Cardiff last month and that it has nothing to do with the game at Kingsholm tonight.

wayne wrote:

InjuredYetAgain wrote:

The Saint wrote:Jerry Collins for Ospreys must be one. Went from one of the world's best athletes to alcoholic.

Is that right? I don't remember too much about Collins at the Ospreys but I seem to recall that he was still pretty useful - a bit past his best, yes but still an effective player.
Gavin Henson (very briefly) at Sarries, Toulon, Cardiff and London Welsh must have drained a good few quid out of clubs' bank balances for sod all return on their "investment"

IYA, this is the first I've ever heard of that story, you have to take what Saint says with a large dollop of salt.

Obviously you are not 'in the know' like you make out then Wayne. The guy was given a free tab at local rugby club and drank the bar dry. Not to mention his pub crawl on the way home from the Liberty every night . He did have a good opening season though. Collins, Holah and Tiatia was a good back-row.

Bobby Skinstad. Joined Gwent Dragons, played a few games, scored a try, then f****d off to 'pursue business interests'.

Artful_Dodger wrote:

GLove39 wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:Muliaina for Connacht fit the bill.

What a waste of money the guy has been.

Well hope there's some left in Galway to pay his bail!
Sersiouly though, anyone know why Muliaina was arrested after the game!?!?

Early reports are that he has been arrested in relation to an incident in Cardiff last month and that it has nothing to do with the game at Kingsholm tonight.

A bit underhand then by the police.  Waiting for him to arrive on British soil and nabbing him oh so publically.  I wonder did they put a request through to him to make himself available for questioning earlier?  Did he refuse to fly to Cardiff and be questioned?
I remember an English player recently being given the dignity of turning up voluntarily for questions and court case that involved an alleged assault in Dublin.  He was cleared.  But he maintained dignity.

GLove39 wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:Muliaina for Connacht fit the bill.

What a waste of money the guy has been.

Well hope there's some left in Galway to pay his bail!
Sersiouly though, anyone know why Muliaina was arrested after the game!?!?

Suspicion of sexual assault..

Dear me how bad has that signing turned out for Connacht.

Don't read too much into the 'assault' right now. Could just be a misunderstanding...or somebody trying to make a name for herself.

VinceWLB wrote:

GLove39 wrote:

VinceWLB wrote:Muliaina for Connacht fit the bill.

What a waste of money the guy has been.

Well hope there's some left in Galway to pay his bail!
Sersiouly though, anyone know why Muliaina was arrested after the game!?!?

Suspicion of sexual assault..

Dear me how bad has that signing turned out for Connacht.

He was never going to be that good on the field but it was a good PR stunt and I'm sure they got a good few new season ticket holders to the club because of it.

It would just be like fate now to have a good laugh and for him to return with Zebre next season and put many Pro12 opponents - including Connacht - to the sword with dash, drive, ambition, fire and no butter-fingers!!!
That would rub salt into the Connacht cheque book.

Owen Finegan the aussies back rower. Great player world cup winner....signed a two year deal with us and was released after 1.

Was appalling.

Yup Stephen Donald so so bad, tom heathcote was twice as good as him at that time, also lewis moody, Robbie fleck, chev walker....although we have a certain league convert who may trump them all......time will tell

Honourable mentions;
Quins: De wet Barry
Wuss: Rico gear
Cardiff blues: Jonah lomu
Glous:Carlos Spencer

SNK at the Blues must be one of the biggest

InjuredYetAgain wrote:

Artful_Dodger wrote:As well as CJ Van der Linde - Lote Tuiquiri for Leinster.

Good shout, Artful. You are the leader in the clubhouse.

Both very good nominations. I'd add Sykes to the mix. What a way to introduce yourself to a new team! That friendly match against Saints and his actions towards the Saints prop.

SecretFly wrote:It would just be like fate now to have a good laugh and for him to return with Zebre next season and put many Pro12 opponents - including Connacht - to the sword with dash, drive, ambition, fire and no butter-fingers!!!
That would rub salt into the Connacht cheque book.

Depending on how things go with him, he really might need to focus on not dropping the soap these next few years.

bedfordwelsh wrote:SNK at the Blues must be one of the biggest

Was he a big name? Most hadn't heard of him. Awful player though.

Are Craig Mitchell and Lee Byrne considered big names? if so what a waste of space and money they have been for the Blues and Dragons.

They were considered big names in Wales. Both have been injured having played once or twice for their team. Mitchell just seems to spend his entire career injured these days.

Mils Muliaina news -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-32181226

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/67611019/former-all-black-mils-muliainas-career-in-jepoardy-as-he-awaits-questioning-over-alleged-sexual-assault

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/67611019/former-all-black-mils-muliainas-career-in-jepoardy-as-he-awaits-questioning-over-alleged-sexual-assault

[quote="formerly known as Sam"]Mauger had a huge impact off the pith though hence why we've brought him back as head coach for next season. Certainly our backs have never looked as good since he left and he didn't even have Manu to use then. On the field he was a bit underwhelming though his leadership was good.

Schuster was a terrible signing. Had a couple of French caps could play either side but was an appalling scrummager to the point we were picking 20 year olds ahead of him and let him go mid season.

Camacho another recent signing who's been injured for two years.

Waisale Serevi, sevens great but can anyone remember his season at Tigers? Exactly. [/quote

Schuster and Cmacho were hardly big names.

Agree with ~Mauger shame he had his back injury though.

Serevi produce some stuff of magic at Leicester so i forgive. I wonder what would have happen if we could of gotten Vunibaka's Visa through. With him, Serevi, Murphy, Healey etc would certainly be a backline with attacking talent.

For me Kafer and Kronfeld never lived up to their name at the time.

True Schuster and Camacho weren't the biggest names but they were internationals and would have commanded international wages for no impact.

Mauger was the last time we spent big on an individual talent from outside the club. Recently we've tried to be more savvy and develop value in players.

formerly known as Sam wrote:True Schuster and Camacho weren't the biggest names but they were internationals and would have commanded international wages for no impact.

Mauger was the last time we spent big on an individual talent from outside the club. Recently we've tried to be more savvy and develop value in players.

Again disagree with Schuster and Camacho, Camacho had no other offers from english AP teams and wanted to stay so IMO will have been cheap.

Schuster maybe but he was our 4th choice Castro replacement.

Richie Gray to Sale must be in with a shout.

Was it Daryl Gibson that signed for Glasgow and was anonymous?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Richie Gray to Sale must be in with a shout.

Was it Daryl Gibson that signed for Glasgow and was anonymous?

Why did you have to mention that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


God damn it Lofferda why didn't you hire Gibson as a Player coach like he wanted, he said he would be willingly to cut the grass if it meant he could stay

And now Gibson is the Head Coach of the Waratahs next season.

Surely for Cardiff it's got to be iestyn harris.

No Edinburgh fans on this thread? Edinburgh must have paid out the most money for the least return over the years. Half pished now so can't remember all the names but boy have we signed some useless players to the extent I was thing of renaming them the edinburgh donkeys

None of them have really been big name signings though TJ! Plenty average journeymen though.

The only real big name signing we've had was Todd Blackadder, and he was awesome!